Pressure-system charger.



WLE. ALLINGTON. PRESSURE SYSTEM CHARGER. APPuc/wmm min AUG- M, 1914.

Patented D60 12, 1916.

5 SHEETS SHEET I.

W. MUNGTONQ PRESSURE SYSTEM CHARGER. APPLICATION mm) AUG. 14. 1914 Pmmm'imni Dec. 12, 1916 5 MEETS-SHEET 2.

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W. E ALLINGTON.

PRESSURE SYSTEM CHARGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. I9I4.

Patented Dec. 1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3- 2 air /2 (Ema/1w" W. E. ALLINGTON. PRESSURE SYSTEM CHARGER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I4. 1914.

Patented Dec. 12, 191

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5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

212m, if. fill 12' WILLIAM E. ALLINGTON, 0F SAGINAW', IELZICHIEHMN.

PRESSURE-SYSTEM CHARGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1%,

Application filed August 14, 1914. Serial No. 856,817.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM- E. ALLTNG- Ton, a citizen of the United States residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and titate ot' lvflichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure- Systeni Chargers, of which the following is a specification.

ltly invention relates to a charger for trapping air-conveyable material from a source of material supply into the discharge pipe of a pneumatic dust-conveying system, substantially Without permitting escape of air from said system.

Particularly, in many of its features, my invention relates to a charger adapted so to handle substantially dry heterogeneous or conglomerate materials. such as the refuse from wood working mills, its purpose being to introduce the material into a long blow lmeumatic conveyor system, wherein the discharge pipe is small in diameter and wherein the air is si'lpplied by a variable-pressure constant-volume blower develo )ing, on occasion, relatively high pressure. (leneri ally, such a charger as that with which my present invention has to do consists oli a pocketed drum or trap, rotatable between opposed heads that have ports connected with a source of material supply. and suitable blow-piping, so that material may be delivered through a head-port, under atmospheric pr ssure, into a compartment of the drum at one point in its rotation betweenthe heads and may be blown-out of the said compartment when the latter has moved forward. rotatively, to register with the dis charge blmv-pipe or pressure-pi1 e sections that open in alinenieut through the opposed chargin' heads.

li'lany dilliculties are presented in the construction oi a charger apparatus of this general type; and the general object of my invention is to provide a practical and ellicient charger structure of said type; one that is simple. durable not liable to get out of order, and especially adapted for the handling of such conglomerate materials as wood-worhin l-mill refuse.

Some of the dillicultie's inherent in the provision of a mechanism of this kind arise among other things, from the fact that the ease of Wood mill refuse, of particles and bodies of all shapes and. sizes from almost iinpalpable dust or powder to long shavings. splinters, and wood blocks-wind further from the fact that, necessarily, ditl erent portions of the charger drum are subjected to different pressure conditions. In consequence of the nature of material and the inherently varying pressure conditions, it is Very advantageous in a charger of the (.ll..t'xfacter described to make special provis" to prevent packing of the material in dense form in the charger pockets; to prevent escape of powdery, impalpable particles into the hearing or rubbing surfaces of the drum or rotor thereby to prevent clogging or stoppage of the drum; to provide against undue Wear and other drawbacks due to unbalanced pressure conditions; and to effect proper lubrication unhindered by the escape of dust particles between the lubricated sur faces.

Further objects of my inrofiom there fore. are to provide structural features to meet and overcome the dilliculties heretofore referred to, by protecting from dust the wearing surfaces that are most apt to be dust-clogged and by effecting their proper lubrication; by providing for a pressure distribution within the compartments of the rotor substantially to minimize unbalanced w iar and obviate dust-leakage, and yet to permit the use of a minimum number-of compartments or pockets; by providing for loosening the material in the pockets after they have been filled and before they are brought into register with the blower connections; and further by providing means for relieving the pressure of air entrapped within the compartments after they have emptied and have passed from register with the blower connections and before they again register with the material supply port.

Other and further objects of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideratioi'i of the following specification: taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating. for purposes of full disclosure. a single practical embodiment of my invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved charger. Fig. 2 is a diametric ver tical sectional view of the same. Fig. 2 l8 a sectional detail view showing the wear plate at the edge of the radial partitions.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the charger head. Fig. l: is a fragmentary, vertical, swtional view on the line 44; of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragn'ientary, sectional view on line 55 of Fig, 2. Fig. 6 is a view of the under surface of the lower head, de ached. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view on line ?-7 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 8, 9, l0 and 11 are diagrammatic views indicating the rotor in various positions hatit takes during one complete cycle or revolution, the relation of the rotor to the top plate ports being shown to the right; its corresponding relations to the bottom plate port being shown to the lett; and the areas under more-than-atmospheric pressure being indicated. by shade lines.

Referring to-the drawings, 20 indicates in general a frame structure which, it will be understood, may be varied in specific construction, according to the requirements of the particular installation. The typical structure hereshown comprises a base 21 formed of channel bars, corner posts 22,

preferably of angle iron, and an upper horizontal top structure 23 that affords support to the lower head of the charger. The charger comprises in general a rotatable pocket-ed drum, 2%, preferably cylindrical in form, anddivided by radial walls into a plurality of sector-shaped compartments, said .druin being carried for rotation by a vertical shaft 25 between. the two relatively stationary heads 26 and 27, the latterbe'ing secured fixedly to, foundationed on, and lev eled in, the frame member 23.

l prefer that the shaft- 25 which carries the charger-rotor shall find bearing only in the supporting structure below the charger; that the drum shall be driven in rotation by power applied close to the single-end shattloearing thus atl'orded;v and that the upper charger-head 26, hearing on the chargerdrum shall be'free for some adaptive movement to adjust itself to the drum surfaces that support it. Each of these features makes for reduction of the power required to operate the drum and for maintenance, under all conditions, of the proper corelation between the rotating and non-rotating elements of the charger structure to prevent uneven wear and reduce liability to air leakage.

n the specific construction shown, the rotatable shaft 25 receives its single l'iearing at 2?" in a central hub on the fixed bottom head 2'? and the drum 24, splined on. said shatt, receives the power to rotate it in sul' stantially its bottom plane, a sprocket clos to the bottom of the drum (integral with or fast upon the bottom spider of said short shaft, bears by gravity on the upper i surface of head :27. and the upper head 2(3, loose on the shaft 25, and centered by it, bears by gravity upon the upper end of the drum 24-. Although the upper head '20 is tllllrl tree for adaptive selt-mliustment1o the enacting surface oi" the drum. it should be fixed against roi'atiiiin, and to this end l preferably employ an anchor bolt an secured to the upper head 26 and taking somewhat loosely through the corner post 37 that is preferably an extension ot one ol the posts 22, and is braced for suitable rigidity as by ln'aees "T. ll preferred the two heads may be connechul by tension devices beyond the drum-periphery, or suitable weights placed on head 26.

I prefer that the rotor or pocketed drum Q-l: shall be. il ormed with a minimum number of compartmeiuis consistent with the desired operation, and that as much of, the circular area oi the drum as is possible shall be included in the pocket-space,--thus to reduce to a minimum the size of the drum for given capacity. To this end I preiluably divide the drum, by radial. partitions 38 into live compartments or pockets, this being the smallest number that NHL) cllectively be used to secure the normal pres-s1ire eondition that I prefer to establish and maintain in the l'fitOl COnlpultliltFl. will be unde stood. however. that other lea tures of my invention are not dependent on number of pockets.

More specifically the rotor or pocketed drum 2% comprises a pair of spiders 39 no spaced apart and rotatable with the sha ft 233, each having live radial arms l-(l connected at their outer ends by the aunula ring ll. cast integral therewith, and at their inner ends integral with hub 41. A cylindrical shell l) is within the flanges 4-3 of the rings l l--ll and. is riveted thereto as at -l-l-. lhis shell l2 forms the outer wall of the material-receiving pockets, the inner wall of which is formed by a smaller concentric shell 45, til-- ting at its ends over the tiangles -l-(i on the hubs tr --41. llach partition 38 con'ipriaes a pair of vertical, parallel side'plates 47 47 bolted together as at 48 just above and below the. radial arms 40 ot the lower and upper spiders respectively, and at their vertical edges bolted together as at W just inside of the flanges of the vertical,

Uaihaped channels rifl -49 that in turn Hl'o riveted to the ('(ni'l rtmting surfaces of the shells l5 and 42 thus in client clamping the walls of the partition together but notdi .ln this eonnectii'm it'- rectly fastening them to the rotor. To give stiffness to the partltlon structure a suitable number of braces -50 may be inter posed between the side plates 474T, and the hollow partition, thus fabricated, is filled with cement 51.. This construction is one advantageous arrangement for insuring suitable rigidity to the partition walls, so

heads coacting with the rotor, are smoothly machined. lhe wear plates 54: are thin, and make, at most, only a slight contact with the opposing head surfaces, thereby dispensing with all need for lubrication of such surfaces. I regard this as important, for it will be obvious that if the construction of the charger-rotor is such as to require the whole plate-surfaces to be lubricated the always-serious, difficult matter of lubrication becomes greatly exaggerated, for, on the bottom plate especially, the bodies of dry dustnin transit will wipe off or absorb the lubricating oil very rapidly.

For rigidity to preserve their surface planes, the top and bottom heads 26 and 27 are externally ribbed, the ribbing of course being located so as not to interfere materially with the position of the ports. From the center of the bearing hub from head 26 to parallel ribs 58-5S extend diametrically to a border flange 57 that conforms to the plan contour of the place, whichis pefer ably polygonal, these ribs running substan-- tially at right angles to the radius bisecting the material supply port and, therefore, roughly speaking, on the diameter on which 1)rcssure-changes take place Other strengthening ribs 59 and 55) extend nearly radially to the rim 57 from points of intersection with the first mentioned ribs The rib 59 stand: at right angles to the rib 58 and the ribs 59 59" preferably coincide with the side edges of the material supply port. This ribbing may be duplicated on the lower plate.

The upper head has a. material supply port. (30, between the ribs 59 59, and at a suitable distance in advance thereof, (in the direction of rotation) a. pressuresupply port bl, each of these ports being connected to a suitable adapter, 60 or 61, the former connected to any source of material supply and the latter connected bysuitable blow piping with the source of air pressure supply. Just in rear of the material supply port 60, with reference to the direction of rotor movement, there is, (preferably in head 2(3) a relief port 62 opening to the atmosphere. lhe lower head 27 has preferably only a single port (53, alining with the pressure supply port 61 and connected by a suitable adapter (33 with the long blow-dischargc piping through which the material trapped in the charger is to be delivered to its ultimate point of deposit. This port (33 is preferably so located that it opens to a advancing compartment before the port (31 opens to said compartment so that each advancing co1npartment receives pressure from the bottom, causing a kick-back or bottom introduction of air under pressure that serves to loosen up the material in the compartment and prepare it for delivery when the compartment immediately thereafter comes into register with the pressure supply port.

Referring to Figs. 8 to 11. (wherein the views on the right show the relation of a rotor to the material feed and air feed ports 60 and (31. and the views on the left show similar relation of the rotor to n'iateriabaml air discharge port ('33) it will be ol'iserved that when a compartment A directly spans the port 60, (being therefore under atmospheric pressure) the compartment ll preceding in the direction of rotation will not yet have opened to the ports 61. and (33, so that said compartment ll will still be under atmospheric pressure, and also the fifth compartment ll, registering with the relief port ()2 will be under atmospheric pressure. Momentarily, therefore, while this relation exists, only the compartment (which is in register with the pressure piping) and compartment l) (which has not yetreached the relief port 62) will be under blower pressure. As the rotor advances very slightly. however. compartment B will be put under discharge-pipe pressure. this change occurring as soon as the edge-plate of the forward partition "all of compartment ll passes the lip of port 63, and from that time on for ncarl y a. fifth of a revolution of the rotor, (that is to say, until the compartment D opens to the relief port 62) three of the live compartments will be maintained underdischargepipe pressure. Since this pressure area is more than half the area of the drum, the

10 it is in position passing complete exhaust,

in Fig. 11, it is in register with the relief port 62 and so is being restored to atmospheric pressure.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the two allied problems of lubricating the wearing surfaces of the charger and preventing the fine dust from getting into the oiled wearing surfaces are serious factors in a machine of the character described. Some of the dust handled in such a charger is so powdery and impalpable that it is practically impossible to retain it by any joint that can be made between moving parts, and yet its escape into the oiled bearing surfaces inevitably results in clogging of the machine in course oftime to an extent that is wasteful of power, preventative of proper lubrication, therefore, occasioning serious wear. Also this dust will wedge in and build up a. layer between the surfaces which allows of serious leakage and final clogging of the system.

The bearing surfaces of the hub and rim ara all oiled, preferably by pressure oiling system delivering oil through suitable piping. generally indicated at 70. It is of course generally true that with t. iorizontal rotating surfaces the oil will tend to work outwardly to 'ard the periphery of the rotor, carrying with it any dust that may tend to accumulate in the bearing surfaces. so that-as to the bearing surfaces of the hub no particular protection against dust accumulation is necessary. Also I find in practice that the rim hearing at the top of the rotor needs substantially no protection, as the fine dust tends to settle at the bottom of the rotor and accumulation on the top bearing surface is not serious. At the botton'l-rim bearing-surface, however. the tendency of the fine dust is to grind and work out into the bcarii'ig. and it is at this point in my device that serious clogging is apt to take place unless special provision is made to overcome it. For this reason I make the lubricated surface of the bottom rim materially less in width than the full rim width, and between the lubricated surface and the inner face of the rim 4-1 I provide in the rim a channel 75, extending circumferentially and uninterruptcdly. This channel I use for the passage of air from an inlet duct 76 at any suitable peripheral point to an outlet duct 77 closely adjacent thereto. letwcen the inlet and outlet ducts l mounton the fixed head 27 an interrupter block or'stop 78 fastened tothc plate 27-as by screws. 79, Fig. .7. This interrupter 78 is, of course. shapedin cross section. exactly to correspond with the groove to inter-fit neatly therein, and its ends adjoining the air inlet and outlet ducts 76 and 77 are preferably beveled (practically near the outlet 77) so that no eddy space in the air passage is formed. Air under pressure forced into the inlet 76 preferably travels, at high velocity, in the same direction in which the rotor turns, and while the unlubricated edge 75' between the groove 75 and the inner surface of the rim may wear, owing to lack of lubrication, so that fine dust escapes into the groove 75. such dust 'will never get into the lubricated bearing surface beyond the groove, for the dust particles are swept around in the channel and delivered through the air outlet 77. The beveling of the end of separating wall 78 enables slivers, chips and the like that may escape into the chan nel to be delivered into the air outlet pipe without clogging the latter.

\Vhile I have herein described in some dotail a particular embodiment of my invention. it will become apparent to persons skilled in the art that changes may be made in the structure without departure from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a charger of the character described, the combination of a rotatable 'iocketcd drum, heads therefor, a material supply connection opening through the one l ad, air pressure supply and delivery connections opening through opposite heads, the last said connections arranged with respect to the drum that a cmnptjrtmcnt. moving in rotation. opcns to the delivery connemvions before opening to the pressure supply eonncctions.

2. In a charger oi. the character described. the combination of opposing heads. a drum thcrclwtwecn having 'alls dividing the drum into five compartments. one said head provided with material supply and air pressure supply ports, the other head having a delivery port substantially alining with the pressure supply port, and one of said heads having a vent-port, said y'n'essure and dclivery ports located slightly more than a. compartment space in advance of the ma.- terial supply port, and one of said air ports arranged to opcn to an approaching compartnwnt at substantially the same time that the vent-port opens to a compartment third in advance thcrcof. whereby three of the five compartments may normally be maintained under pressure.

3. In a charger of the cha acter described. the combination of opposing heads, a rotatable drum thercbetwccn having partition walls dividing it into five compartments, there being in one head a material supply port. an air pressure supply port in advance thereof slightly more than the space of a. compartment. and a vent port slightly in rear of the material supply port, and in the opposite head a delivery port generally in,

alinemcnt with the pressure supply port and arranged to open to a progressingpocket, before said pressure supply port opens ill 'ter

newness m thereto, and at approximately the same time in the rotation of the drum that the vent port opens to the compartment third in adi'alls dividing the druminto five com-,

'mei'its, one said head provided With masupply and air pressure supply ports, the other head having a delivery port sub- .alining With the pressure supply and. one oi said heads having a vent slightly more than a compartment in advance ot the material supply open to an approaching compartment at substantiallythe same time that the ventport opens to a compartment third in. advance thereof, whereby three of the five compartments may ni'irmally be maintained under pressure, a shaft for said drum and to which it is secured, a single shaft bean i on in the lower head, and means to rotate said drum and acting directly on the drum adjacent its lower end 5. In a charger of the character described, the combination of a drum, positioned with its axis vertical, a short shaft therefor rotatable therewith, relatively stationary heads for thedrum. providing a material supply port in one head and alining; air ports in the other head, a single shaft-bean inc; close to the lower head, and means for rotating said drum arranged to apply power in plane close to the shaft supporting bearing.

i i. charger of the character described, comprising an open ended drum havlng radial partition Walls therein dividing the drum into a plurality of pockets, a vertically disposed shaft for said drum, a bothead atlording a single bearing for said shaft, and a floating head overlying} the upper end of said drum, said heads havingmaterial feeding and air supply and discharge openings therein 8. A charger of the character described, (ilil'llpl'lslngl' an open ended drum having radial partition. Walls therein dividing the drum into a plurality of pockets, a vertically disposed shaft for said drum, a bottom head aflcrding a single bear ng for said shaft, a floating head overlying, the upper end of said drum, said heads having said. pressure and delivery ports lo-v and one of saidair ports arranged to material feeding and air supply and dis charge openings therein, and means for holding said floating head against rotation.

9 In a charger of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame, a bottom cover plate fixed thereon affording a central shaft bearing, a shaft rotatable in said, bearing, a drum rotativcly fixed on said shaft providing a plurality of pockets, an upper head loose on said shaft and hearing on said drum, material feeding: and air supply and discharge openings in said plate and head and means for holding said upper head against rotation.

10. In a charger of the character described, the combination of a drum, comprising lower and upper spiders concentric shells connected to the rim and hub of said spiders and radialpartition Walls connected to the arms of said spiders and to said shell, and heads having materials feeding and air supply and discharge openings for said drum.

11. in a chaifger of the character described, the combination of a drum, comprising lower and upper spiders, concentric shells connectedv to the rim and hub of said spiders and radial partition Walls, each said wall comprising; two plates on opposite sides of the alining spider arms and a cement filling between said plates and upper and lower drum closing heads having materials feeding and air supply and discharge openings therein.

12. In a charger of the character described, the combination of a drum, comprising lower and upper spiders, concentric shells connected to the rim and hub of said spiders and radial partition Walls connected to the arms of said spiders and to said shell heads having material. tteedinn and air sup ply and disciarge openings for said drum,

and adjustable contact blades on the upper' and lower ed of said Wall.

13. In a charge oi the character described, the combination of a. pocketed drum, upper and lower heads, having material feeding, and air supply and discharge open ings, and against which said drum bears throughout its periphery, the coacting surfaces of the plate and drum providing a channel between said peripheral bearing surfaces and the pocket area, and means for circulating fluid through said channel.

14. .ln a charger of the character described, providing a rotatable drum, coacting top and bottom heads, separated. air supply and outlet material feeding pipes leading to the said heads, and a channel in-thc outer rim of the drum interposed be tween the bearing surface thereof and the material pockets, through which the air may pass to guard the bearing surface radially heyoud the channel. against escape of dust.

'15. In a charger of the character described, opposing heads having .n'laterial In testimony whereof I hereunto set my feeding and air supply and disehzmge openhand in the presence of two subscribing wit- 10 ings, a rotor fiherebetw'een hmisg ims bearnesses. V 01 the heads, anei having diVlSlOIl Walls A WILLIAM E. ALLINGTON Sihvldlllgli; lnto compartments, means to lubricate the bearing of the rims and heads, In the presence of and thin Wear plates on the division walls Fomin BAIN,

in non-lubricated coacaion with the heads, STANLEY W. COOK. 

